Cash-starved Houston library system to cut hours

Budget forcing cuts in library hours

ALLAN TURNER, HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Published 5:30 am, Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Hammered by $2.2 million in budget cuts, the Houston Public Library system this month will reduce its hours by 28 percent — closing most of its 42 branches on Saturdays — and trim expenditures for library materials.

The reductions, marking the first time in seven years that hours of operation have been cut, come as patronage of the library continues to grow. During the past year, in-person visits to library branches increased 13 percent and borrowing of library materials rose 15 percent.

“We want to assure our customers that this change will not have an impact on the library's core mission to provide a high level of quality service to its customers,” said library director Rhea Lawson, who noted that many services will be accessible via computer 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The series of cuts to the library's $39.3 million budget came as the city of Houston tightened its belt in the face of a budget shortfall of $12 million to $20 million for the current fiscal year. The city deficit for the fiscal year beginning in July is expected to reach $100 million.

Lawson would not speculate about what future cuts might be necessary. “A miracle may happen,” she said.

Reduced hours will go into effect on April 17.

Most libraries will now be open 51 hours a week instead of the current 71. In addition to the shortened hours, expenditures for books, recordings and other library materials will be cut by 6 percent.

Lawson said 42 vacant staff positions will not be filled, resulting in a 9 percent reduction in library system staffing. Most of the lost positions are those of librarians and others who interact with the public. Additionally, Lawson said, a hiring freeze has been implemented.

Schedule will be on Web

In reviewing branch library operating schedules, Lawson said, every effort was made to ensure that libraries will be open when the most people want to use them.

Only downtown's Central Library and Houston Metropolitan Research Center and seven other branches will remain open on Saturdays. Lawson said a survey of library use found that patronage on Saturdays was lighter than on weekday afternoons when students, many of whom don't drive, use the facilities.

But on Saturdays, the survey also found most library users arrived by car and were therefore better able to find a library that was open.

“It was clear that those patrons were more mobile than students,” Lawson said. “They might have to drive a couple of miles more, but there will be neighborhood libraries open on Saturday. We made certain that these all were on bus lines.”

The new service schedule should be posted on the library system's Web site — www.hpl.lib.tx.us — by close of business today.

Similar straits elsewhere

Camila Alire, president of the American Library Association, noted that many public libraries across the nation have suffered budget cuts similar to Houston's.

Among them are the New York City system, which earlier this year cut hours at two-thirds of its branches; the Cuyahoga County Public Library in Cleveland, Ohio, which cut hours at some branches and doubled late fines; and Seattle, Wash., where hours were cut and libraries closed for a week.

Alire said she found it “ironic” that libraries were forced to curtail services when they were needed most — especially by newly unemployed workers who use library computers and other resources to hunt for jobs.

A study commissioned by the association determined that library use during the 2001 economic downturn increased by 8.3 percent.

Houston Public Library spokeswoman Sandra Fernan­dez said computer use at Houston libraries grew 5 percent during the past year.

Houston libraries experienced three reductions in hours between July 2002 and July 2003. The full schedule was restored in July 2006.